Job Description
The Sr Proposal Operations Mgr is responsible for providing technical support to the Proposals & Contracts group in their preparation and management of deliverables. This position also provides technical support to Finance and Project Management staff in support of tools prepared for those groups. A collaborative team player with strong industry experience who partners with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to enhance and update tools in response to evolving business needs.
How you will contribute:
• Support Proposal and Contract Managers in the development of complex client deliverables, including client-specific grids, tables, and pricing outputs.
• Provide pricing support across the business, including maintenance and application of pricing tools, models, and assumptions used in proposals and project forecasts.
• Support Project Managers and Project Associates by troubleshooting and resolving technical issues related to Estimate-at-Complete (EAC) and other project forecasting tools.
• Prepare, version, and release new and enhanced departmental tools, ensuring alignment with business, pricing, and operational requirements.
• Document enhancements and changes for each tool release and support user enablement, including training and reference materials.
• Partner with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to update task algorithms, costing logic, and calculation methodologies within tools as business needs evolve.
• Translate business and operational requirements into extractable and reportable data, supporting analysis, pricing, and decision-making.
• Perform testing and quality assurance of new tool versions to validate functionality, accuracy, and usability prior to release.
• May provide coding or scripting support to enhance tool functionality, automation, or data extraction, as needed.
• Support Sales/Senior Director on assigned initiatives and projects, including tool support, pricing analysis, and data preparation.
• Assist with special projects and continuous improvement initiatives as required.
Qualifications
Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree in business management, clinical sciences, statistics, or equivalent.
Minimum Work Requirements:
• 5-8 years of prior experience in a proposal/budgeting group at a Contract Research Organization (CRO) or within a pharma, academic, biotech organization in clinical research (functional or team leadership).
• Experience in CRO contracting and surveillance.
• Experience in proposal generation (budgeting and proposal writing).
Skills:
• Strong Microsoft Excel® skills in workbook design and complex formulas.
• Preferred VBA experience (or other programming language and willingness to learn VBA)
• Strong understanding of clinical trials.
• Proven ability to work efficiently in fast-paced environments, supporting internal teams operating under tight timelines.
Characteristics:
• Excellent listener, superior communication ability, with strong presentation skills and the ability to gain respect and influence personnel at all levels.
• Participative and team-oriented, with energy and initiative, and the ability to motivate, influence and achieve results through others.
• Entrepreneurial and self-motivated, without the need for significant infrastructure and support, an understanding of the dynamics of small, high-growth companies, the ability to work in a rapidly changing environment with research driven founders.
• Ethical, with high degree of personal and professional integrity.
• Strong analytical mindset with the ability to translate complex business requirements into accurate, defensible data outputs.
• High attention to detail, ensuring accuracy and quality in pricing, forecasting, and client-facing deliverables.
